Daptone Records: История и Звук Души из Бруклина

Record label

Daptone Records is a funk and soul independent record label based in Brooklyn, New York. Best known as the home of Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings and Charles Bradley, the label boasts a roster which includes Menahan Street Band, The Budos Band, The Sugarman 3, and Antibalas, and runs the recording studio Daptone's House of Soul.

Daptone Records was formed in 2001 by Gabriel Roth (Bosco Mann) and Neal Sugarman. Daptone was born out of the closure of Desco Records, a label run by Roth with fellow musician Philip Lehman who both played in the band Soul Providers. Roth and Lehman ended their band and business relationship in 2000. Roth, who had played with Sharon Jones as part of the Soul Providers, subsequently founded a new label with Neal Sugarman, leader of The Sugarman 3, as the home of their new group, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings. Their first release was 2002's Dap Dippin' with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. In their first four years, Daptone would also put out Sharon Jones' sophomore album, Naturally, as well as original releases by the Sugarman 3 and Dap Kings adjacent The Budos Band. During this time, they also converted a two family home in Bushwick, Brooklyn into an analog recording studio space. The first album recorded there was Antibalas's "Who Is this America?" in July 2003. Producer Mark Ronson became a fan of the studio. He brought in Amy Winehouse to record parts of her album Back to Black there with The Dap Kings and Antibalas members Nick Movshon and Victor Axelrod. Since its founding, Daptone has released over one hundred 45" singles and fifty albums.

As of 2021, Daptone operates four specialty imprints. Ever Soul, an imprint that reissues rare soul singles from the 1960s and 1970s. Dunham, a label run by Thomas Brenneck and Homer Steinweiss, best known for their releases of Charles Bradley and Menahan Street Band. Penrose, a South California offshoot of Daptone began by Bosco Mann in 2020. Wick, a subsidiary founded in the late 2010s with a roster of rock leaning artists.

Daptone built their studio, called Daptone's House of Soul, in a converted two family home in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. It was very run down when they first rented it, and the neighborhood was not great. Daptone Records has its offices in the top floor, the studio is on the ground floor. The label built the studio from scratch, and made the decision to not have computers, but to rely completely on the more old fashioned analog recording methods to make music. There are tape machines and a CD recorder, but no Pro Tools or digital reverbs. The studio is where they have recorded most of their releases. Their distinctive sound is a product of the studio acoustics, recording only on analog tape (no digital), and mixing done by Roth. The recording studio and engineering personnel have been sought out by record producers such as Mark Ronson. In February 2009, Daptone's House of Soul was broken into and thieves made off with the better part of its equipment.

ArtistTitleCatalog NumberRelease dateSharon Jones & The Dap KingsDap Dippin' with Sharon Jones and the Dap KingsDAP 0012002Sugarman Three & Co. Pure Cane SugarDAP 0022002The Mighty ImperialsThunder ChickenDAP 0032004 (reissue)Sharon Jones & The Dap KingsNaturallyDAP 0042005The Budos BandThe Budos BandDAP 0052005The Sugarman 3Sugar's BoogalooDAP 0062007 (reissue)The Poets of RhythmPractice What You PreachDAP 0072006 (reissue)The Sugarman 3Soul DonkeyDAP 0082007 (reissue)The DaktarisSoul ExplosionDAP 0092006 (reissue)Bob and GeneIf This World Were Mine DAP 0102007 (reissue)The Budos BandThe Budos Band IIDAP 0112007Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings100 Days, 100 NightsDAP 0122007Various ArtistsComo Now: The Voices Of Panola Co., MississippiDAP 0142008Menahan Street BandMake the Road by WalkingDAP 0152008Naomi Shelton & the Gospel QueensWhat Have You Done, My BrotherDAP 0162009Pax Nicholas & The Nettey FamilyNa Teef Know de Road of TeefDAP 0172009 (reissue)Various ArtistsDaptone Gold (label sampler)DAP 0182009Sharon Jones & The Dap KingsI Learned the Hard WayDAP 0192010The Budos BandThe Budos Band IIIDAP 0202010Sharon Jones & The Dap KingsI Learned the Hard Way (11x45s box set)DAP 0212010Charles BradleyNo Time for DreamingDAP 0222011El Rego Et Ses CommandosEl Rego (compilation)DAP 0232011Sharon Jones & The Dap KingsSoul Time! (compilation)DAP 0242011Menahan Street BandNo Time For Dreaming (The Instrumentals)DAP 0252012The Sugarman 3What The World Needs NowDAP 0262012The Como MamasGet An UnderstandingDAP 0272013AntibalasAntibalasDAP 0282012Menahan Street BandThe CrossingDAP 0292012The Poets Of RhythmAnthology 1992 2003DAP 0302013Charles BradleyVictim of LoveDAP 0312013Sharon Jones & The Dap KingsGive The People What They WantDAP 0322014Naomi Shelton & the Gospel QueensCold WorldDAP 0332014The Budos BandBurnt OfferingDAP 0342014Saun & StarrLook CloserDAP 0352015Various ArtistsDaptone Gold, Vol. II (label sampler)DAP 0362015Sharon Jones & The Dap KingsIt's A Holiday Soul PartyDAP 0372015The Dap KingsA Closer Look at The Dap Kings: The Instrumentals Behind Saun & Starr's "Look Closer"DAP 0382018Walker Family SingersPanola County SpiritDAP 0392016The James Hunter SixHold On!DAP 0402016Charles BradleyChangesDAP 0412016The FrightnrsNothing More To SayDAP 0422016Sharon Jones & The Dap KingsMiss Sharon Jones! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)DAP 0432016The OlympiansThe OlympiansDAP 0442016The Como MamasMove UpstairsDAP 0452017AntibalasWhere the gods are in peaceDAP 0462017Sharon Jones & The Dap KingsSoul Of A WomanDAP 0502017The James Hunter SixWhatever it takesDAP 0512017Various ArtistsDaptone Super Soul Revue Live at the ApolloDAP 0692021